Chapter 9: The Gambler’s Game
"1 gold coin."
"5 gold coins."
"Dammit, five of you, follow up!"
"10 gold coins."
"Damn it, where the hell does your confidence come from!?"
...
In a corner of the tavern, a group of men had gathered around a small table. Sitting on opposite sides of the table were two middle-aged men, each holding a dice cup.
One wore a triumphant smile beneath his mustache, his eyes half-closed in a relaxed, confident expression.
The other was a bald, muscular man who had already stripped off his shirt due to the heat. His body was built like a tank, eight-pack abs tight and visible.
But compared to the mustached man across from him, his face looked completely different—sweaty, furrowed, tense. Beads of sweat rolled from his forehead down to his jaw, yet he didn’t even wipe them.
The two were gambling.
Their low, intense voices had already drawn a small crowd of curious onlookers in the tavern.
Including Erika, who, as someone new to this world, was naturally intrigued by such a heated atmosphere.
She had been casually swinging her legs and munching on roasted meat, but when she heard the shouting, and saw that Gladys was still at the counter talking to the innkeeper, she got up. Holding the last piece of meat in her hand, she jogged over to the gambling table while nibbling away.
“Munch munch,” she chewed noisily, her red eyes wide with curiosity as she stared at the dice cups on the table.
The game seemed simple: roll a few dice and compare their total. Primitive, but straightforward.
If this were her old world, any sleight-of-hand cheater would dominate this setup.
At the table, the mustached man grinned. "Ten gold coins. Are you in or out? If not, I’m taking the pot."
The bald man hesitated, face stiff with tension.
"Alright… I’ll go in for 10! I don’t believe I can’t win at least once!"
He narrowed his eyes, tossed the gold onto the table, and flipped his dice cup.
Underneath: 5, 5, 6.
That’s a high roll.
Seeing the numbers, the bald man’s stress visibly vanished. He beamed with joy.
"Haha! I’ve got it this time! No way I’d keep losing to you forever!"
"Oh dear, your roll looks quite big," the mustached man replied.
The bald man sneered and reached for the pile of gold—
Only to have his hand grabbed by the other.
"Hold on, you haven’t won yet."
"Quit the crap and open yours already!"
The bald man was impatient. In his mind, only two dice combinations could beat his—both incredibly rare. This time, surely, he had it.
But then…
He froze.
His face stiffened in disbelief as the mustached man revealed his dice: 6, 6, 6.
No way!
He had just rolled a nearly unbeatable set, yet somehow the other man got something even higher!?
"Heh."
The mustached man chuckled, sweeping the pile of gold into his pouch. "Sorry, looks like Lady Luck is still on my side."
"You bastard, you cheated!" the bald man shouted.
The mustached man shrugged. "Don’t talk nonsense. Look around, so many people are watching. If I cheated, wouldn’t I have been caught already?"
"How could this be..."
"There’s only one explanation—I’m lucky."
With that, the mustached man stood to leave.
"Wait!"
Just as he rose, the bald man yelled again, “We’re not done! Let’s go big this time!”
Erika, having just read about the exchange rates of gold, silver, and copper (1:100:1000), quickly realized the stakes had escalated drastically—from copper coins all the way to gold. And the mustached man had been winning the entire time.
As Erika watched him scoop up the gold, her eyes lit up.
Gold... real, gleaming gold.
In her previous life, that would’ve been a small fortune.
"I don’t think I’ll keep playing."
The mustached man declined calmly. "Judging by your expression, you probably don’t even have a copper coin left, do you?"
"You’re just running away after winning!?"
"Not at all. I just don’t like dealing with broke men."
He turned to go.
"You get back here!"
SLAM!
The bald man slammed his palm on the table, throwing down a copper key.
"This is my estate in the imperial capital—worth at least 300 gold. Let’s play for real now!"
Gasps!
The crowd erupted. People were convinced he had lost it.
Even Erika had finished her meat, watching with wide eyes while sucking on her fingers and smiling wryly.
This was the gambler’s mindset: keep doubling down to win it all back, but end up losing everything.
"No, no, no. What are you doing, my friend?"
The mustached man chuckled. "Didn’t we say that from the start? This is just small-time gambling. This is getting out of hand."
"You scared?"
"No. I just don’t want to see you end up sleeping on the streets when you lose again."
"Bastard! You’re not leaving until we finish this!"
The bald man lunged, grabbing the other’s collar.
But the mustached man remained calm, even pointing a finger toward the tavern door—
Where a few patrolling guards had just passed by. They paused and glanced inside upon hearing the commotion.
Seeing this, the bald man’s aggression softened instantly.
"Let go, friend."
The mustached man pushed him back, adjusted his collar, and said with a smile, “Don’t be so serious. A real man must know how to lose.
I once lost ten thousand times worse than you. People can’t keep losing forever—luck will eventually turn.”
He patted the man’s shoulder and walked away.
Whether it was mockery or comfort, it wasn’t clear. But the bald man’s expression remained filled with rage.
Before leaving, the mustached man approached Erika.
He had clearly noticed the beautiful little girl in the crowd earlier.
“Little miss, do you enjoy gambling too?”
“Uh… no.”
Erika waved her hands. “I’m just waiting for someone. I was only curious.”
“Is that so? But I saw greed in your eyes.”
The man smiled gently. He seemed quite elegant as he pointed at his own eyes. “I like observing people’s expressions—it’s a habit of mine.
Young lady, when you looked at those gold coins, your eyes were full of desire.”
Erika was speechless.
Who wasn’t greedy for gold!? If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be gambling at all!
Flick.
Suddenly, the man flicked a gold coin toward her.
“A gift, beautiful little lady. May you become a great gambler one day.”
Catching the coin, Erika stared blankly. She didn’t understand why this guy was giving her money. “I never thought about gambling…”
“Oh~ You still don’t understand what gambling really is.”
He waved and walked out the tavern doors. “In truth, everyone in this world is a gambler.
Whether it’s business, war, or chasing power—as long as you follow your desires, you’re gambling.
It’s just a matter of what you’re wagering.
And some bets… cost your life.”